Raiders done in by 7-run inning

Blue Mountain's Nick Spotts tags out Twin Valley's Jared Price at second base after a pick off play during Thursday's PIAA-AAA quarterfinal at Wenger Field, Fredericksburg. The Raiders were knocked out of the PIAA playoffs losing 9 - 3.

FREDERICKSBURG - For the last three seasons, Twin Valley coach Matt Royer has begun practice in March by telling his players how difficult it is to win a state championship.

Royer should know.

Two years ago, Neumann-Goretti shut out the Raiders with an unearned run in the quarterfinals. Last year, Conrad Weiser's Aaron Price homered in the bottom of the eighth inning to end an epic semifinal at FirstEnergy Stadium.

Thursday at Wenger Field, Twin Valley was playing in the quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. Only this time it wasn't nearly as close.

District 11 champion Blue Mountain spotted the Raiders two runs in the first, scored seven in the second inning and won 9-3 to advance to the PIAA Class AAA semifinals.

The Eagles (19-5) sent 13 batters to the plate in the decisive inning, added two unearned runs in the fourth and eliminated the Raiders (24-5), who had set a school record for wins.

"The first day every year, I tell them, 'You have to be a lot better to win a state championship,' " Royer said. "You can't have one bad inning. It's single elimination. If you have one bad inning, your season is over."

Blue Mountain used six hits, three walks and a hit batsman to knock out starter Ryan Plank with two out in the second. The Eagles had just four hits in a 5-3 win over Upper Moreland in the first round, but they have seven guys batting .300 or better.

"As we started the playoffs, it was like the alarm clock went off and we woke up," Blue Mountain coach Tom Kramer said. "Our hitting has really been strong."

Nick Spotts, Norm Spotts and J.P. Kirchner each drove in two runs in the second. Kirchner, Norm Spotts, Kyle O'Brien and James Bromwell each had two hits for the game.

Twin Valley had 10 hits, just one less than the Eagles, and had chances to score in every inning but the seventh. The Raiders had runners on first and third with one out in the third when Billy Reardon lined into a double play.

Jared Price was caught stealing in the third one pitch before Jeremy Rahn laced a double to right center. Matt McInaw and Plank singled to lead off the fourth before the game was delayed 1:02 because of lightning in the area.

When it was resumed, Kyle Trivits hit a sharp grounder right at Nick Spotts, the second baseman, who started a double play. Then in the sixth, the Raiders loaded the bases on singles by Brandin Snyder and McInaw and a hit batsman.

O'Brien relieved starter Mark Harding and retired the next three batters.

"They played well, but we could have won that game," Rahn said. "The one inning cost us. Other than that we played a decent game. We couldn't get the important hit in key situations."

Rahn relieved Plank in the second and limited Blue Mountain to no earned runs and five hits over the final 51/3 innings. Royer chose to start Plank because he throws harder than Rahn and McInaw. He planned to use Rahn because of the steamy weather.

"Jeremy did an outstanding job," Royer said. "I wish I would have had a crystal ball. That was the plan, but the plan wasn't that we'd put him in when we were behind five runs."

Still, the Raiders exceeded their coach's expectations. Every regular except Snyder returns next season, when they hope to make another run in states.

"If they think they can get here again just because we have everybody back," Royer warned, "they'll be eliminated right away. They have to get better. They have to get stronger.

"But winning 24 games and making it to the state tournament, what they did is amazing."